Letter 1037

Gregory the Great (Wisigothic)Unknown|gregory great
From: Pope Gregory I
To: Malcaum, Bishop of Dalmatia
Date: ~591 AD
Context: Gregory orders action on Bishop Stephen, who has been avoiding judgment

I need your help in compelling Stephen, who holds episcopal office, to submit himself to the judgment he has been evading. A bishop who flees from canonical examination is not only failing in his own duty — he is making a mockery of the system of ecclesiastical accountability that exists to protect the faithful. Use whatever authority your position gives you to require his appearance and his submission to a proper synodal hearing. If he refuses to come voluntarily, report that fact to me immediately and I will take further steps.

Modern English rendering for readability. See the 19th-century translation or original Latin/Greek for scholarly use.